De-register diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old in Delhi, NCR: NGT

Jayashree Nandi

New Delhi:

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Order To Hit 2.8L Owners In Capital Alone

The National Green Tribunal has directed RTOs in Delhi and NCR to deregister all diesel vehicles more than 10 years old, in an order that could hit an estimated 2.8 lakh diesel vehicle owners in the capital alone.

The tribunal was hearing a petition on Monday by lawyer Vardhaman Kaushik on severe air pollution in Delhi and related applications.

The direction was a reite
ration of NGT's April 7, 2015 order banning diesel vehicles more than 10 years old from plying in Delhi and NCR. By ordering de-registration of these vehicles, the tribunal may have found an effective
way to implement that order.

Following the 2015 order, Delhi police had reported that attempts were made to impound old diesel vehicles but the drive was unsuccessful.

The bench, headed by NGT
chief Justice Swatanter Kumar, also directed the RTO and traffic police to issue public notices of the order to inform people about the process.
We hereby direct that RTOs will de-register all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years of age... (They) will supply the list of all de-registered vehicles to the traffic police which in turn (will) take appropriate steps as already directed,“ the NGT ordered on Monday .

The tribunal recalled that
its April 2015 order was challenged in Supreme Court, which dismissed the appeal.“The old diesel vehicles are undisputedly a source of air pollution. It has been brought on record to us that even during the odd-even enforcement by Delhi, the ambient air quality of Delhi didn't improve...this itself is indicative of the extent of pollution being caused by vehicles.“
“We see no reason to vary
from the previous order,“ it observed. “In fact the order requires to be enforced vigorously and effectively by the authorities concerned.“

The bench observed that it was an accepted fact all over the world that emissions from diesel vehicles were more hazardous to the environment than those from petrol, CNG or electric automobiles. It clarified that “the older diesel vehicles can be driven in places with large space available for dispersion and dilution of emissions“.

NGT also heard appeals by some agencies to operate their old diesel vehicles. For instance, DTC had pr ayed it should be permitted to operate 56 diesel trucks, out of which 50 were more than 10 years old. NGT allowed only
the remaining six trucks to be operated till they turn 10. They held the same view for diesel fire-fighting vehicles and fuel tankers.
The tribunal also directed the ministry of heavy industries to submit a status report on viability of electric and hybrid vehicles and the incen
tives the ministry would provide to popularize these alternative modes. It ordered the ministry to issue a letter to every chief secretary within a
week, stating the benefits of giving up old vehicles. The responses of the state governments will have to be placed before the tribunal.

The final order wasn't released till late on Monday evening but the bench did read it out in the courtroom.

Advocate Balendu Shekhar, representing the road transport and highways ministry , said the ministry did not agree with the order and would contest it. “NGT is open to listening to us,“ he said.

The Centre for Science and Environment, an NGO campaigning against diesel emissions, welcomed the order.“We shouldn't look at the order in isolation. It is part of the plan to reduce diesel emissions in the city ,“ said Anumita Roy Chowdhury , head of CSE's clean air campaign.